CrockPots

I may still be the traditional slow cooker, meaning I love cooking for hours using my trusty enameled cast iron dutch ovens and pans... but lately I've been curious about modern slow cookers aka crockpots...

Rival 6.5-Quart Crock-Pot® with eLume™ Touchscreen

This Rival slow cooker is user-friendly with its new eLume™ Touchscreen user interface, where all you need to do is touch for operation. The stainless steel exterior is attractive and durable with its 6.5-quart capacity for large dishes. Program your slow cooker using the interface for 30 minutes or program it before you leave in the morning for up to 20 hours of slow cooking. Your meal will be waiting for you when you come home. When it is finished cooking, it automatically sets to warm for up to six hours after cooking. Its removable oval stoneware and lid are dishwasher safe and its polished metal handles with silicone wrap make for easy gripping when serving. Includes a recipe book with over 80 recipes to choose from.

From Bed Bath & Beyond

Hmm... I'm trying to save... but the itch is there.

Buy Organic, Buy Non-Organic

Came across these two related articles on foods we should buy organic and foods that we do not have to buy organic.

Here's a summary:

Buy Organic

• Meat - Organic meat however is not yet readily available in our markets. Or is it? Please comment if you know. I saw organic pork sold in Fresh! Supermarkets but they are sooooo expensive.
• Milk - "Pesticides and other man-made chemicals have been found in human breast milk, so it should come as no surprise that they have been found in dairy products, too. While any residues detected have been rare, and of low concentration, milk is of special concern because it is a staple of a child's diets."
• Coffee - Go a step or two further, and look for the Fair Trade Certified label to ensure that your purchase supports farmers who are paid fairly and treated well. And look for shade-grown varieties for the trifecta: Then you know the coffee is being grown under the canopy of the rainforest, leaving those ancient trees intact, along with the wildlife -- particularly songbirds -- that call them home.
• Peaches
• Apples
• Sweet bell peppers - Peppers have thin skins that don't offer much of a barrier to pesticides. They're often heavily sprayed with insecticides.
• Celery
• Nectarines
• Strawberries
• Cherries
• Kale
• Grapes
  
• Leafy Greens - This one is easy. They are available in Salcedo Market every Saturday!
• Carrots
• Pears
• Potatoes

Foods You Don't Have to Buy Organic

• Onions
• Avocado
• Sweet corn
• Pineapple
• Mango
• Asparagus
• Sweet Peas
• Kiwi Fruit
• Cabbage
• Eggplant
• Papaya
• Watermelon
• Broccolli - Look for tightly bunched flower buds on the broccoli stalks that are immature. In other words, try not to buy them if their little yellow flowers have opened. Color-wise, the broccoli should be deep green and the stalks should be firm and not rubbery. Before use, wash in a cool water bath and change the water a couple of times in the process. Store in the refrigerator crisper.
• Sweet Potatoes

Ok if Organic, Ok too if Not Organic: Tomatoes - previously should be organic but recent studies showed them to be cleaner than most. If you aren't growing your own, look for fresh in-season tomatoes at local farmers markets and farm stands. Look for glossy, firm skin -- and don't hesitate to try a delicious heirloom variety that might not look like a typical tomato!

Full Articles HERE and HERE.


Source: TheDailyGreen.Com

My Whatever Osso Bucco

Got to cook Osso Bucco but used different recipes as inspiration/ideas on how to cook my own version of Osso Bucco.

My Whatever Osso Bucco



Ingredients

• 1 kilo Beef shanks (with bone marrow!)
• Flour for dredging
• Salt and pepper
• 4 tbsp olive oil, divided
  
• 2 white onions, diced
• 2 cloves garlic,chopped
• 1 big carrot, diced 1/2 inch big
• 1/2 cup 1/2 inch diced celery stalks
• Stalks of rosemary, thyme, tied with a string (bouquet garni)
  
• 3 pcs bay leaves
• 1 cup dry white wine
• 3 cups chicken stalk
• 1 small can crushed tomatoes (1 tbsp tomato paste if you prefer)
  

1. In a cast iron dutch oven, heat 2 tbsp olive oil in medium heat.
2. Season shanks with salt and pepper. Dredge lightly with flour. Cook the shanks in the pot until all sides are brown. Set aside.
3. Add remaining oil, then saute onions, garlic, carrots, and celery.
4. Add the crushed tomatoes. Add back the shanks. Pour in the wine and chicken stock.
5. Add the bouquet garni and bay leaves. Simmer.
6. Cook over low heat for 2 1/2 hours, turning the shanks once in a while. Make sure that shanks are at least 3/4 covered. Better still, shanks are fully submerged in the liquid.

Serve hot with garlic toast.

Wishlist: Index Cutting Boards

I wish I have this!!!

It is always healthier and safer to have different cutting boards per type of item. Wanna have this!

From TheFindBlog.

Buffalo Chicken Salad

I got inspired by Elie Krieger's Buffalo Chicken Salad, but I didn't have all the ingredients found in the recipe. I just made the most of what I have in my depleted pantry (no grocery for a week due to our hospital stay!).

Simple Buffalo Chicken Salad



Ingredients

* 2 (8-ounce) boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
* 2 tablespoons cayenne pepper hot sauce (or other hot sauce), plus more to taste
* 2 teaspoons olive oil
* Hearts of Romaine Lettuce cut into 1-inch strips
* 2 celery stalks, thinly sliced
* Half a carrot, coarsely grated
* 1/2 cup Blue Cheese Dressing - store-bought

Directions

Preheat the broiler. Put the chicken between 2 sheets of waxed paper and pound with a mallet or hammer so the chicken is an even thickness of about 3/4-inch, then cut the chicken crosswise into 1/2-inch strips. In a large bowl, combine the hot sauce and the oil, add chicken and toss until the chicken is well coated. Arrange the chicken on a baking sheet and broil until it is cooked through, about 4 to 6 minutes, turning once.

In a large bowl combine the Romaine, celery, and shredded carrots. Toss with the dressing. Add the chicken pieces. Serve with extra hot sauce.

Click on the link above for the full recipe of Ellie Krieger.

Sashimi Pate

I don't know what this is called, so I just named it Sashimi pate. Anyway, I first tried this during my Uncle's birthday, and got the recipe from my Aunt. This is a great appetizer, serve this with fried "siomai" wrappers or any chips you want (crisped pita bread is ok too!).



Sashimi Pate

Mix together the following:
1 cup diced A-grade tuna (used for Sashimi)
1 Tbsp Kikkoman soy sauce
1 1/2 Tbsp Garlic Chili sauce
1 Tbsp Lemon juice
1 tsp wasabi powder (depends on your taste)
1 Tbsp Sesame Oil
Chopped chives
*1 Tbsp real mayonnaise. I didn't add mayo in mine.



Enjoy!

Chicken in Mushroom Cream Sauce

I posted pictures of the latest food that I have book in Facebook, and there were quite a number of requests for the recipe of the Chicken with Mushroom Cream Sauce.

So, without further ado... here it is. I hope I remember it right!



Ingredients:

3 tbsp butter, divided
5-6 breast fillets
2 cups sliced cremini mushrooms (baby portobello)
2/3 cup chicken stock
2/3 cup white wine (dry)
2/3 cup cream
1 tbsp fresh thyme or 1/2 tsp dried thyme
salt and pepper to taste

heat 2 tablespoons butter and add the chicken fillet. brown on both sides, then add the sliced cremini mushrooms. set aside the mushrooms and chicken.

add another tablespoon of butter to the pan, then mix in 2/3 cup chicken stock, 2/3 cup wine, thyme, salt and pepper. scrape the bottom bits. once boiled, simmer for 5 minutes. then stir in 2/3 cup cream and simmer for another 2 minutes or so. then add back the chicken and mushrooms.

Serve with arugula salad (extra virgin olive oil, lemon, salt and pepper)

enjoy!